Things to do on Arrival
We know that you will have many things to sort out when you arrive in Umeå. The following information includes advice to help you with what you need to take care of.
Reporting your Arrival
There is no need to notify the central administration of your arrival. You should follow the instructions from your department regarding course registrations. These instructions are included in the Information package. If you have questions regarding your courses/programme on your arrival, please turn to the contact person at your department.
Getting a Personal ID Number
Having a Swedish personal ID number (personnummer) will make life much easier. Procedures in connection with the health care system will be less complicated, you will receive better service from banks, there will be increased possibilities to sign subscriptions and so on. However, it is not absolutely necessary for you to have this ID number for your stay in Sweden if you are not planning to stay for a long time.
To receive a personal ID number in Sweden:
EU-Citizen
You need to have the intention of staying in Sweden for a year or more to be given a Swedish Personal ID number. To acquire it, bring your passport and personally visit a Tax Office and they will help you.
Non EU-Citizen
You need to have a residence permit for a period of at least one full year to be given a Swedish Personal ID number. Bring your residence permit and passport and personally visit the Tax Office and they will help you.
The Tax Office (Skatteverket) in Umeå is situated on Nygatan 25.
Sorting Out the Money Situation
If you want to open a bank account, our recommendation would be that you turn to Svenska Enskilda Banken (SEB) or Nordea. Of course, you are free to choose whichever bank you prefer. The reason that we recommend SEB and Nordea is that they are the only banks that will be sure to let you open an account without a Swedish personal ID number.
You will need your Letter of Acceptance/Notification of Admission and your passport when you want to open an account. SEB also requires a residence permit (not nessesary if you are a Nordic citizen) and a tenancy agreement or certificate from your landlord.
There are no bank branch offices on campus or at the student housing areas. Most banks have their offices in the centre of town.
Foreign currency is exchanged at Forex. The regular banks do not handle currency exchange. Forex has an Umeå office at Renmarkstorget 7 in the city centre, their business hours are: Monday – Friday 10am – 6pm, Saturday 10am – 3pm.
